This week’s natural health research roundup: daily peanuts and brain insulin response in older adults, a study of nearly 486,000 people on tea and heart health, a prebiotic fiber that eased knee arthritis pain, and a diet-and-exercise program that put over half of young adults’ type 2 diabetes into remission.
Nordic walking began as summer training for Finnish cross-country skiers. Adding two poles to your walk burns more energy without feeling harder, and a review of 16 trials linked it to better heart rate, blood pressure, fitness, and quality of life. Here’s how to start.
From Greek horta to Indian saag, nearly every traditional cuisine treasures its greens. Research now links about one serving of leafy greens a day to a brain that ages more slowly and to a healthier heart. Here’s why, and easy ways to eat more.
Lavender has calmed restless minds since Roman times. Today, a standardized lavender oil capsule has been tested in placebo-controlled trials for anxiety, with encouraging results. Here’s what the research shows and how to bring lavender into your daily routine.
When negative drug trials disappear and positive ones are promoted, the evidence doctors rely on looks stronger than it really is. From antidepressants to Paxil’s Study 329 to Tamiflu, here’s what the record shows and a practical toolkit for informed patients.
A single line in a 1,600-year-old Chinese medical handbook led Tu Youyou to artemisinin, the Nobel Prize-winning malaria medicine. Here’s the remarkable story of sweet wormwood, what research shows about Artemisia and other parasites, and how to use this wisdom wisely.
Whatever your vaccination choices, your immune system does the daily work of meeting winter viruses. Here’s what controlled trials show about elderberry, zinc lozenges, probiotics, vitamin C, and vitamin D, and how to build a simple seasonal routine.
In a study of nearly 1,700 adults, people who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t. This step-by-step tutorial shows you how to keep a simple, judgment-free food journal that fits into about 15 minutes a day.
Bleeding gums are often treated as a brushing problem, but research shows food matters too. A German trial found that a whole-food, anti-inflammatory diet reduced gum bleeding in four weeks, and studies on vitamin C, omega-3s, and green tea point the same way.
A randomized trial found that new community gardeners ate more fiber, moved more, and felt less stressed and anxious. Here is what the research says about gardening as everyday medicine, and how to start, even with a single pot.
Reviews covering millions of people link fiber-rich diets to about a 16% lower risk of colorectal cancer, with whole grains leading the way. Here’s how fiber feeds your gut’s protective microbes and how to reach 30 grams a day.
Cranberries have a centuries-old reputation for bladder health, and a 2023 Cochrane review of 50 trials found cranberry products cut the risk of UTIs by about 30%. Here’s how the berry’s unique compounds work and how to use cranberry juice wisely.
The Maya and Aztecs prized cacao as a sacred drink. In the large COSMOS trial, older adults taking cocoa flavanols had 27% fewer deaths from cardiovascular disease, and a 2025 follow-up found lower inflammation. Here is how to get real cacao benefits without the sugar.
A major 2024 BMJ review of 218 trials found that walking or jogging, yoga, and strength training all meaningfully eased symptoms of depression. Here is what the research shows, which kinds of movement help most, and how to build a mood-lifting routine.
People who ate a handful of nuts every day were 20% less likely to die during a Harvard study of nearly 119,000 adults, and a major Spanish trial linked daily mixed nuts to fewer heart attacks and strokes. Here is why nuts deserve a daily place on your table.
This week’s natural health research roundup: ten healthy eating patterns linked to slower biological aging, a sugar in red meat tied to diabetes risk, a vitamin C trial in pre-leukemia blood disorders, and why whole foods may beat fish oil pills for the brain.
From Indian dal to Mexican frijoles to Mediterranean hummus, legumes have fed long-lived cultures for millennia. Research links them to longer life, lower LDL cholesterol, and steadier blood sugar. Here’s why, and how to eat more of them.
Our roundup of the most interesting health research making headlines this month: how few daily steps it may take to protect the brain, why late-night snacking may harm the liver, a two-year trial on diet drinks, and why statins cause muscle pain for some people.
From OxyContin to Vioxx to Theranos, some of the biggest health disasters of our time were driven by profit and deception. Here’s what really happened, how it came to light, and the practical tools you can use to make informed decisions about your own care.
Every traditional culture has its fermented foods. A Stanford trial found that eating more of them for 10 weeks increased gut microbiome diversity and lowered 19 inflammatory proteins in the blood. Here’s how to add these living foods to your table.
Blueberries were a sacred food for Native American tribes. Today, large studies link them to slower brain aging and fewer heart attacks, and a new 2026 pilot study explores their effect on mood. Here’s why these berries earn their superfood title.
Montmorency tart cherries are one of nature’s few food sources of melatonin, and they are packed with anti-inflammatory anthocyanins. Small trials show tart cherry juice can add extra sleep and speed muscle recovery. Here’s how to use it.
This month’s natural health research roundup: a Japanese cypress oil that improved sleep, a large study showing loneliness may cost years of healthy life, new clues on olive oil and blood sugar, and blueberries and mood.
Ultra-processed foods make up more than half the calories Americans eat. A review covering almost 10 million people linked them to 32 health problems. Here’s what counts as ultra-processed, why it matters, and practical ways to cut back without going to extremes.
Dancing may be one of the best exercises for the aging brain. A review of 12 trials in older adults with mild memory problems found dance improved overall thinking and memory. Here’s why moving to music is such powerful medicine.
Magnesium powers more than 300 processes in the body, from muscle relaxation to blood pressure and sleep. Yet an estimated 70 to 80% of Americans don’t meet their daily needs. Here’s why it matters and the most delicious ways to get more.
Forget exotic powders. One of the best-studied superfoods for digestion is sitting in your grocery store’s produce aisle. Kiwifruit outperformed psyllium in a three-country trial and is now recommended in the first evidence-based dietary guidelines for constipation.
Don’t have time to work out? Research using activity trackers on 25,000 non-exercisers found that a few one-minute bursts of vigorous everyday activity, like charging up the stairs, were linked to a much lower risk of early death. Here’s how to “snack” on exercise.